Who are the Muppets suppose to be

[maynard]

There is a debate on jumptheshark about who the muppets are suppose to be. Can you say who the major ones are and put the photo of the person by them with a short explanation. This is what I think so far-

Dr. Teeth is Dr. John.

Janis is Joni Mitchell

Miss Piggy is Hotlips Hoolahan

Gonzo is Klinger

Kermit is a sock puppet with ping pong balls who is the humble side of Henson

The giant monster is the total persona of Henson

Crazy Harry is Joe Cocker at Woodstock

Floyd Pepper is Greg Allman as Pepper or some 60s musician who looks like Allman

Who are Statler and Waldorph? Some old Hollywood stars?

And who is Dr. Honeydew?

The Swedish Chef is Omar Sherif

Beeker is Danny Thomas?

Fozzie Bear is Milton Berle.

Wayne and Wanda is Nelson Eddy and Jennette Mc.Donald.

Sam the Eagle looks like Bob Dole but who is he?

Please can you settle this debate once and for all, I'm losing sleep over it.

Also if anyone could get the Muppets back to the period before Hensen became obsessed by computers and special effects can you have a Muppet sit-com but
with the explosions, wacky over the top humor that Hensen did in his counter culture days. You know the spirit of the swingin' party in the bathroom while Bert is taking a bath but without the really bad song and dance. Unless you always make the bad song and dance a joke like Wayne and Wanda. And we don't want the same one joke surrounding Kermit and Miss Piggy. I'm more of the whacked out old skool Grover and that dude who played the jokes on everyone fan anyway.

 

[Gorgon Heap]

Are you saying that all the Muppets are in fact based on other people or characters, or is this a 'just-for-fun juxtaposition'? If the former, I hate to come right out and say it, but you'd be dead wrong. The only Muppet that was based outright on somebody else was Dr. Teeth, who was as you said based on Dr. John. Actually there was another, the Swedish Chef, who I believe was based on a real Swedish chef whose nerves caused him to be very clumsy when he first appeared on television. Wayne & Wanda also might have been based on MacDonald and Eddy.

As to the members of the Electric Mayhem, they do take their names from famous people. Statler & Waldorf are named after two New York hotels.

The rest are their own. I'll admit they do adhere to certain types, but they're not outright copies of others.

And if I've misunderstood the game, then I apologize in advance for it.

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole

 

[Billy's Girl]

I though Janice was Janice Joplin. And there are the muppets which are meant to be the muppeters.

 

[Gorgon Heap]

Janice was NAMED after Janis Joplin, not singularly based off of her. I think they took elements from a few singers to make Janice. I really don't see how she could be based off of Janis Joplin anyhow- Joplin was a Texan, and Janice is a California surfer girl. Plus Janice's lips were taken from Mick Jagger, I believe.

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole

 

[TravellingMatt]

I always thought Pepe and Seymour were knockoffs of Ren & Stimpy. Listen to their voices and how they interact with one another!

 

[Billy's Girl]

Originally posted by Gorgon Heap
Janice was NAMED after Janis Joplin, not singularly based off of her. I think they took elements from a few singers to make Janice. I really don't see how she could be based off of Janis Joplin anyhow- Joplin was a Texan, and Janice is a California surfer girl. Plus Janice's lips were taken from Mick Jagger, I believe.

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole

DON"T YELL AT ME!!!!!!! I meant that she was named after Janis Joplin, I just worded it wrong.

 

[Gorgon Heap]

I wasn't yelling. You can tell, no exclamation marks. I just wanted to emphasize the one word. Sorry about that; should've just used italics.

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole

 

[Aerosmith]

I dunno but Zoot makes me think of Jim Morrison and Animal makes me think of Keith Moon the Loon.

 

[TravellingMatt]

Zoot actually reminds me more of Miles Davis than anyone else. Case in point:

When my dad was a teenager, he went to a club in Detroit to hear Miles Davis play. Miles played for about 20 minutes, messed around on his trumpet for a while, and took off. During those 20 minutes he also spent half that time with his back turned to the audience.

Now doesn't that just sound like Zoot?!

 

[BAZ]

Floyd is sometimes called Sgt. Floyd Pepper. Obviously named after The Beatles Sgt. Pepper. However, did you know there is a Sgt. Floyd memorial in Sioux City, IA? Seems he was the only person to die during the Lewis and Clark Expedition adn was buried in Sious City. I always imagine this statue of Floyd when I drive through Sioux City.
I wonder if that's where Floyd's first name came from?